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BIGYGLE. No. 404,562 Patented June 4, 1889.

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' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. D. REYNOLDS.

BIGYGLE.

No. 404,562. PatentedJune-.4,l 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN l). REYNOLDS, OF NEVADA, MISSORI.'

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersv Patent No. 404,562, dated June 4, 1889. i Application filed March 19, 1889. Serial No.303l856. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN D. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing atNevada, in the county of Vernon and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has relation to an improvement in bicycles, and the novelty will be fully understood from the following description and claims, taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation 0f my improved bicycle, with part in section and part broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken diametrically through the front wheel. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the front portion of the Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indicates the front drive-wheel, and B is the guide-wheel arranged in rear thereof.

C indicates the axle for the drive-wheel, which has secured to its opposite ends the pedal-levers a, carrying foot-pieces b. This axle has its support in bearings d, as shown, which are supported by the two parallel uprights e of the main frame. This main frame is tubular, so as to provide for lightness, and is formed with two vertical branches e in front, which may join a single horizontal branch D, which forms the backbone. This backbone has extending from it forwardly oblique a rod or bar E, which may be also forked to span the front drive-wheel, and is connected to the lower end of the rear vertical branches c.

F indicates a hollow shaft, which encircles the shaft C, and is provided at opposite ends with hubs f. These hubs have their periphery toothed, so as to performthe additional function of gears, as indicated by G. These gears G are provided on their inner sides with lugs or other suitable means to receive the inner ends of the spokes of the main drivewheel, the outer ends thereof being suitably secured to the riln or felly of said wheel. It will thus be seen that I have a hollow shaft with its hubs terminating in gears, and one which may be allowed to freely move upon the main axle C, to which the pedal-levers are attached.

H indicates large drive-gears, there being one employed on the main axle at opposite sides of the hub-gears. These drive-gears I-I are xed to the axle C by means 0f set-screws g or other suitable fastening devices. The outer sides of the hub-gears G are provided with ratchet-teeth, and the adjacent sides of the gears H are provided with ratchets I to engage the same. Thus it will be seen that when the gears are properly engaged and motion applied to the pedals the pawls of the gears H will engage the ratchet-faces of the hub-gears, and the said gears carrying the pawls, being fixed to the main axle (l, will' impart a motion to the drive-wheels.

J indicates a vertically-sliding framewvhich has journaled in it a gear-wheel K, and j0ur.

naled on the spindle or shaft lc of `this gearwheel K is another gear-wheel L. This latter gear-wheel L is designed to normally mesh with the hub-gear, and the smaller gears K are designed to mesh with the gears H, fixed to the main axle. theseupper gears, as indicated at 7c, is provided with a conical head at its inner. end and the outer is threaded to receive a nut z'. The bores of the gears L are eountersunk, so as to receive the conical head of the rods or shafts k, and by this construction it will be seen that any play caused by wear may be taken up by simply tightening the nut, and such construction permits of a ready removal and replacement of the gears should it be found necessary. The sliding frame J is slotted, as shown at M, and an arm N, connected with operating mechanism, is provided with a stud O, which is designed to pass through The shaft or spindle of the slot M of the sliding frame. These arms or bars N are normally kept depressed by devices which will be presently explained, so that the gears may be held in vproperoperative engagement.

Arranged upon a cross-bar a', secured to the main frame, are two transverse slideblocks Z, having lug eyes or studs m, to which are pivotally connected arms n, which latter are similarly connected at their opposite or inner ends to the vertically-moving' arms N of the sliding frame J, a spring, such as P, being employed to keep the arms a stretched IOO to their fullest extent or the slide-blocks? pushed in opposite directions. These vertically-moving arms N of the slide-frame J are raised by means of rods Q, and a handlever, that will be presently explained. lly this construction it will be observed that the gears are normally held in engagement and themachine may be driven by the application of power en the pedal-levers; but in desccndin g a hill or the like the operator ,may,by means ef the sliding frame, draw the upper gears out of engagement with the lower ones, when the drive-wheel and steering-wheel will continue te turn, while thc pedaldevers remain idle, the pawl l riding' freely over the ratchet teeth in the hub-gear. This is particularly desirable, as it obviates the necessity of the operator throwing his feet over the cross-bars or in some other position to clear the movements of said levers.

Arranged on the forward portion of the main frame are short vertical standards R, which have journaled thereon a crossbar S, which has secured to its opposite ends segmental levers T. These segmental or curvilinear levers T have attached to their lower end the upper end of the rods or cords Q, the opposite ends of which are secured to the upper ends of the sliding bars N. This crossbar is designed to have a rocking movement in its standards or bearings, and has secured to it a rigid hand-lever U within convenient reach of the operator, so that by moving the lever in one direction the gears may be drawn outof engagement, and by moving it in the opposite direction. the gears will be let down and made to engage the ones below them.

V indicates the hollow guide-postarran ged on the forward portion of the machine. This guide-post has passing through it a vertical shaft adapted to be partly rotated. This shaft, which has secured to its upper end the cross-handles, has secured to its lower end the guide rods or ropes lV.

The rear steering-wheel B carries a hollow upright shaft X, through which passes a shaft Y. This shaft Y is connected by means of the guide ropes or wires \V with the rotatable shaft Z, which passes through the hollow guide-post V. Thus it will be seen that the guide-wheel is arranged in rear of the inachinc, and may be manipulated bythe hands of the operator while grasping the handle portions of the cross-bar. This shaft Z is also hollow, so as to receive a brake-rod p, which is connected with the inner end of a brake-lever q, which is fulcrumed on a bearing r on the forward portion of the main frame, and has at its outer end a brake-shoe 1'2, adapted to bear against the periphery ef the drive-wheel. This brake-rod p, after passing through theinternal hollow post Z, is connected with one end of a hand-lever q', which is fulcrumed on the crossbar n. l'ly this arrangement the operator may guide the "ll will engage ratchet-teeth in hub-gear machine at will, whether the gears are all in or out of engagement, and he may apply the brake without removing his hand from the grasp on the cross-bar.

s indicates the seat, which is adapted to be adjusted longitudinally upon the horizontal portion D of the main frame, so that it may accommodate itself to the limbs of the operater. This seat has a-s] ni11g, as shown at r, and two rings, as shown at y, to slide upon the said horizontal bar D. NVhen direct power is wanted en the drive-wheel A, the sliding frame J is raised. Then the pawl I in gea/r 7 thereby bringing the power direct on the drive-wheel. If speed is wanted, let down sliding frame J. Then gears ll mesh in gears K. New as the pedal-levers are put in motion they in turn drive gears lil. As gears ll are started, they throw the pawls in gears K to engagement with ratchet-teeth in gears L, locking gears K and L as one solid wheel. The gears L drive lmbgcarsf, thereby making a high-speed machine.

By the foregoing it will be seen that the ratchet in gears ll and f is to lock the main axle and the driveavheel together as if they were solid. The drive-wheel being small gives the machine greater power over the large-wheeled ones. If the gears are all in mesh and the machine starts down an incline and the operator holds the pedal-levers stationary, of course the hub-gear j* is turning ahead of gears Il, making the ratchet run the reverse way for them te catch, and also gears L are ruiming with them, and the reverse for the pawls in gears K, as gears ll and K are stationary with the pedal-levers; hence the speed has to be regulated bythe brake.

The object of the pawls and ratchet-teeth in the gears K and L is to obviate the raising 'of the sliding frame while goingdown an incline, thereby making the machine as near automatic as possible.

llaving described my claim isl.. In a bicycle, the combination, with the main drivc-wheel having a hollow shaft and hub-gears, of the shaft carryingpcdal -levers, gears fixed thereto, one of said gears having a ratchet and the other a pawl, and a slidin frame carrying gears adapted to engage and disengage the gears on the hub and axle,sub stantially as specified.

2. In a bicycle, the combination, with the main wheel having' its shaft provided with a gear at opposite ends, of the pedal lever shaft, gears carried by the pedal-lever shaft, and a pawl-and-ratchet connection for said gears, substantially as specified.

3. In a bicycle, the combination, with the main wheel having its shaft provided with a gear at opposite ends, of the pedal-lcver shaft, gears carried by the pedal-lever shaft, a pawland-ratchet connection. for said gears, and a movable frame carrying gears ada} )ted to eninvention, what l TOO l'lO

AI 2O gage and disengage the gears of the mainwheel shaft and those of the pedal-levershaft, respectively, as set forth.

4. In a bicycle, the combination, with the main wheel having its shaft provided With a gear at opposite ends, of the pedal-lever shaft, gears carried by the pedal-lever shaft, a pawland-ratchet connection for said. gears, and a movable frame carrying gears connected by pawl and ratchet and adapted to engage and disengage the gears 0n the ,main-wheel shaft and the gears on the pedal-lever shaft, substantially as specified. v

5. The combination, with the main frame, of the drive-Wheels having hub-gears, the sliding frames carrying gears, the sliding arms, thehorizontal rock-shaft, the segmental levers secured to the rock-shaft, and the rods connecting the sliding arms with said levers, substantially as specified.

G. In a bicycle, substantially as described,

the combination,with the main frame and the sliding frame, of the two oppositely-sliding blocks carrying lug eyes, an interposed spring for keeping the blocks moved outwardly, the sliding arms, and the pivoted arms connecting the sliding blocks with the said slidin g arms, substantially as specified.

7. In a bicycle, the combination, with the hollow guide-post, of the hollow guide-shaft arranged therein, the brake-rod passing through the shaft, the brake-lever fulcrumed on the main frame and connected With the brake-rod, and a hand-lever, also connected with the rod and fulcrumed on the cross-bar, substantially as specified. l

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

S. D. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

J. B. HARRIS, Y T. E. TURPIN. 

